View of Rhenen
Jan van Goyen·1646
Historical Context
Van Goyen's View of Rhenen from 1646 depicts the small town on the Lower Rhine, recognizable by the distinctive tower of the Cunerakerk, which Van Goyen painted repeatedly throughout his career. Rhenen was particularly associated with Frederick V, the 'Winter King' of Bohemia, who lived in exile there after losing his kingdom in 1620, and the town carried nostalgic political associations for many Dutch viewers. Van Goyen's repeated return to the Rhenen motif — he painted it dozens of times — reflects both its distinctive topographical character and its commercial success with collectors who recognized the landmark. The work exemplifies his mature tonal approach, the sky dominating the composition with the town reduced to a silhouette on the horizon.
Technical Analysis
Van Goyen's canvas demonstrates his mature tonal technique, with the town's silhouette rendered in warm, atmospheric tones against a luminous sky. The river foreground is painted with horizontal brushstrokes that capture the water's reflective surface, while the sky occupies the majority of the composition with subtle gradations of gray and warm light.
Provenance
“Collection of a Gentleman of Nottinghamshire;” (his sale, Christie, Manson & Woods, London, 1846).[1] probably acquired 1878 by H. Smith Wright, Nottingham. Thomas Wright [1773-1845], Upton Hall, between Southwell and Newark, Nottinghamshire. Dr. Abraham Bredius [1855-1946], Amsterdam. Sir George Donaldson [1845-1925], London; purchased 1906 by William A. Clark [1839-1925], New York;[2] bequest 1926 to the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington; acquired 2014 by the National Gallery of Art. [1] Information about the 1846 sale, which has not yet been positively identified, is given in Dana H. Carroll, _Catalogue of Objects of Fine Art and Other Properties at the Home of William Andrews Clark, 962 Fifth Avenue_, Part II, Unpublished manuscript, n.d. (1925): 219, no. 317; original manuscript in The Corcoran Archives, Special Collections Research Center, George Washington University Libraries, Washington, DC; copy in NGA curatorial files. [2] The fact that Clark purchased the painting in 1906 from Donaldson is given in the Carroll manuscript (see note 1). However, in a letter of 18 November 1906 to Corcoran director Frederick B. McGuire, Clark mentions that he has had a letter from the previous owner of the work, "Dr. Bredius" (The Corcoran Archives, Special Collections Research Center, George Washington University Libraries, Washington, DC: COR RG 2.0, Director's Records, transcription and summary in NGA curatorial files). This was Dr. Abraham Bredius, whose name is not mentioned in the Carroll manuscript. The exact nature and chronology of Clark's purchase has still to be determined.
